Matthew Perry says hospitals refused to treat him when his colon burst because of his fame
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: 'Friends' star Matthew Perry has shared a horrendous experience he had during his rehab days in 2019. He told that counselors had tried to stop him from going to a hospital when his colon exploded as they believed it was just an attempt to get drugs. The actor was glad to have the support of his assistant at a sober house he was living in and as he figured out Perry was in ‘serious pain’ and took him to a hospital.
The 53-year-old was given just a ‘two percent chance’ of survival as his opioid addiction has gone worse and led his colon to burst. He spent months in hospital after the incident left him in a coma for two weeks. Perry further shared that the trouble didn’t end after reaching the hospital as they didn’t have all the equipment to treat him, and nearby clinics refused to take him in given his level of fame.
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The actor in his book ‘Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing’ revealed all about his addiction and how he spent almost $9 million to be sober again. He recently celebrated his 18 months of sobriety and thanked everyone who helped him throughout the journey. He especially thanked his 'Friends' co-star, Jennifer Aniston, “[Aniston] was the one that reached out the most. I'm really grateful to her for that."
Perry said, “Cedars-Sinai was called — they took one look at my chart and apparently said, 'Matthew Perry is not dying in our hospital.' Thanks, guys. UCLA wasn't willing to take me, either — for the same reason? Who can say? — but at least they were willing to send an ECMO machine and a team. I was hooked up to it for several hours, and it seemed to work!”
Later, UCLA took him in, where he spent six weeks on their heart and Lung ICU unit. His condition was so terrible that the actor had to go through 14 surgeries on his stomach and was dependent on a colostomy bag for nine months, reports Daily Mail. Perry reflected on his several attempts at rehab to get himself clean. He told in an interview that is scheduled to air on October 28, on ABC News that he went for it 15 times between 2001 and 2011.
The actor revealed that his alcohol addiction began when he was 24, and by age 34, he was ‘entrenched in a lot of trouble.’ Perry added that his 'Friends' co-stars were ‘patient’ and ‘understanding’.